Gulf Construction Online - $65m twin towers for broadcaster

Qatar Review

Artists impressions of the Qatar Braoadcasting Services Complex... the twin-towers.

$65m twin towers for broadcaster

01 March 2004

Tenders are expected to be announced next month for the construction an estimated $65 million-plus twin-tower complex to house the country’s radio and television corporation.

The Qatar Broadcasting Services Complex will be built adjacent to the corporation’s existing facilities which are housed in a leased building in the West Bay area of Doha. It will comprise modernistic, high-rise buildings fronted by a huge glass-roofed structure, surrounded by extensive car-parking.
To take shape at the junction of Ahmed bin Ali Street and Khalifa Street (Khalifa Town Road) – at what is commonly known as ‘the TV roundabout – the development will bring all the facilities of the corporation together on one site. The new streamlined complex is aimed at putting an end to the current duplication of services while providing much-needed new and upgraded broadcasting capabilities.
The twin towers, which house administrative officers, are flanked by two three-storey high structures shaped liked the wings of an aeroplane. These structures will contain five television studios, 12 radio studios, media and news centres, workshops and ancillary services.
The complex will spread over a 120,000 sq m site, offering a built-up area of around 95,000 sq m. It provides underground parking over an area of around 40,000 sq m.
The project’s major components include:
• A 9,000 sq m atrium – where all vertical and horizontal traffic and circulation of the complex meet;
• A 6,900 sq m multipurpose area that will cater to the international media covering major events in Qatar;
• A 15,000 sq m news centre comprising the main news room with facilities for all Qatari TV and radio networks;
• A 15,000 sq m radio and TV sport studio centre consisting of several studios grouped around a main control room;
• A 15,000 sq m TV studios centre, with TV studios for programme making, including all ancillaries;
• A 9,000 sq m ‘out-broadcasting’ building for the use of the outside broadcast mobile units;
• A 33,500 sq m headquarters building for the broadcasting staff. The building will accommodate at least six departments, with a staff of around 1,000 persons.
Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) won the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture contract to undertake the architectural, structural and mechanical and electrical design for the QBS complex against stiff competition from other world-class architectural firms.
Teaming up with BBC Technology, PB has designed a landmark building with state-of-the-art-technologies. Its design concept was based on site integration, with an emphasis on creating an identity to the surrounding urban fabric.
The project has been given a high-tech look, using glass, metal, and stone. The design for the headquarters draws its inspiration from the sails of a dhow, a local cultural symbol. It consists of several buildings – grouped around an atrium – which function as a whole. An organic metal and glass shell embraces the different components, thus creating internal streets and gardens.
The design is a collaborative effort between PB’s Beirut (Lebanon), London and Al Khobar offices.
“The design of the interior landscape and concrete structure was developed by our Beirut office, the steel structure was designed in London and the electromechanical design was done in Saudi Arabia,” says Nour Tohme, the firm’s architecture and planning manager in Beirut.
The Canadian firm Cansult has been selected as project manager. The Radio and Television Corporation aims to have the complex operational in time for the Asian Games in December 2006.
The current complex provides facilities for the state-run sister television stations QTV1 (terrestrial and satellite in Arabic) and the terrestrial QTV2 in English, as well as the six Qatar Radio services as well as the Arabic FM station, Sawt Al Khaleej.
The two existing radio buildings are some 500 m apart, with IT services in a third building, together with the chairman’s office.
Al Jazeera’s Satellite news channel currently operates from facilities adjacent to the complex, and has two new buildings under construction (and almost completed) on the same site.
Al Jazeera Sports works out of a completely remodelled, refurbished and re-equipped area that previously belonged to QTV Channel 2.